How-to Guides » OLD GUIDE Lower your household bills

Cut your water bill

6 tips on this task  |  Tweet

1) Go for a water meter
One household cost you’ll be unable to avoid is your water bill. However, you could save money by opting for a water meter. It’s important to calculate whether it would be a wise move before signing up – you can’t switch back again if it works out being more expensive.

2) Change your payments schedule
Sticking to quarterly payments can be punishing. Consider switching to a monthly direct debit to ease the pressure.

3) Go for energy efficient white goods
Don’t run your washing machine or dishwasher half full. When you need to buy new white goods go for energy-efficient appliances that use the least amount of water. If you’re not sure, check with the manufacturer before you buy.

4) Don’t run taps when you don’t need to
Don’t leave the tap running constantly while you’re brushing your teeth or shaving. Turn the tap off so you only use what you need. Not doing so could waste ten litres of water alone. And the same goes for washing-up. Use a bowl of water rather than running the tap.

5) Use a water hippo
Older style water cisterns -- those installed before 1993 -- use around 9 to 12 litres for flushing. Put in an easy to fit water hippo -- or other similar device -- and instantly reduce the amount of water you use.

6) Take a shower instead of a bath
A quick shower should use far less water than a bath. But be careful if you have a power shower because it can use more water in five minutes than it takes to fill your bath.

7) Use a sponge to wash your car
Using a hosepipe could easily waste around 90 litres of water in just ten minutes. Using a bucket and sponge to wash your car is far more water-efficient.

8) Keep cool drinking water in the fridge
Don’t waste water running the tap to get it cold – just keep a couple of old bottles full of water in the fridge